Exh 8A
8A
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Proposal To The Atlantic Beach City Commission
To Construct AFive-Way Traffic Circle and nn~ ~'~'
Convert The Plaza Street Median Into ~~ dam' -1' I~~ ~
An Art/Sculpture Park ~~,,,,~- `~°`~yyo~'
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Proposed by: Steve Rosenbloom & David Boyer C~pO` ~
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Two months ago the commission heard a presentation from Steve
Rosenbloom regarding converting the Plaza Street median into an
ArtlSculpture park. The same presentation has been made to the Parks &
Recreation Board, the Tree Board and the Cultural Arts Board. All have
written initial letters of support for the project.
David Boyer's assistance and input was solicited on this concept. Mr. Boyer
is a well known architect and resident of Atlantic Beach and felt strongly that
there was a clear benefit in connecting the Plaza Median with the municipal
buildings vis-a-vis the construction of a five-way traffic circle. In doing so,
Mr. Boyer felt this concept would better identify and transition the Plaza
Median area with the municipal buildings, and more firmly anchor this entire
area as the core city center. In addition, the traffic circle might alleviate a
growing traffic problem at this intersection.
Our proposal and recommendation tonight has two purposes: 1) To encourage
the commission to move towards adopting a resolution of support for this
project so that a feasibility study, design work and cost estimates can be
obtained and; 2) Immediately advise the storm water engineers that this
project is being considered so that they will be aware of it during the design
phase of the storm water project, and to possibly soliciting their support and
input.
We will be glad to answer any questions concerning this project. .
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Plaza Street Median
Outdoor ArtlSculpture Proiect
Overview
Over years of casually viewing art, architecture, parks, cities, etc., I have
observed that many places and/or spaces are defined by either their unique
outdoor visual presence or by a readily identifiable physical structure (or
structures) that somehow either define or provide a mental image associated
with the area. Examples of this can range from a single statute or turn-of-the-
century courthouse located in or on the town square of a rural Georgia town to
the sweeping arch in St. Louis or the space needle which remains from the
Seattle World's Fair. On a broader scale cities like Washington DC with the
memorials, New York City with its numerous outdoor landmarks like the Statute
of Liberty and Central Park and Paris with the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de
Triomphe on the Avenue de Champs ~lys~es, also provide vivid, memorable
examples of how outdoor architecture can be an integral part of ones visual
perception of a city.
In some regard a small, residential community -like Atlantic Beach -having no
singularly defined town center, but instead several random municipal/commercial
areas (i.e. city hall, Adele Grage Community Center and Towne Center),
predominately surrounded by a large residential area, could initially be viewed
as an unlikely candidate for implementation of such a concept. However, from
living in Atlantic Beach and having a fairly clear understanding as to the parks
projects that are developing in our city, my recommendation is for the Atlantic
Beach City Commission to endorse and identify funding for an outdoor
art/sculpture park for our city. It is also my view that the ideal location for such
an undertaking would be the median strip on Plaza Street.
Whv an outdoor art Proiect?
There are several reasons why this project would benefit Atlantic Beach. Our
core city is made up of an eclectic blend of 1920's to 1940's southern coastal
architecture. Over the last twenty years, a variety of different architecture has
been added making the overall architectural theme even more varied.
In my view a project, such as this, irregardless of which vernacular (traditional or
modern or a combination of both) it gravitated toward, would greatly enhance the
ambiance of our community and provide another passive recreational space for
citizens to enjoy. In addition, the Plaza Street median strip is a valuable green
space in the community that is currently not been well maintained and is very
underutilized by the public.
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Why Plaza?
The five-way stop is a focal point in our community and most likely has the
highest traffic count of any intersection within the core city. The Plaza Street
median offers a relatively long, symmetrical city block which, due to the houses,
offers a defined frame vista from either the five-way stop looking east or East
Coast Drive looking west. It also contains a large number of mature, possibly
historical palm trees which could be incorporated as part of the overall design.
While the on-street parking, in my view, visually detracts from the beauty of the
space, I believe with an innovative architectural design, this distraction can be
minimized.
Conversely, it is also my contention that the current five-way stop is somewhat of
a "visual wasteland." Therefore this project could also dramatically soften and
improve the visual negative impact of this high-traffic pedestrian
crossing/automobile intersection.
Timeline
The most economical timeline for this, if it gains support, could be to do this
project in conjunction with the upcoming storm water drainage project. Both the
east and west ends of Plaza Street will be dug up for storm water lines and it is
conceivable that many of the project's construction costs could be minimized or
subsidized through the storm water construction contract which, for this area, will
likely not begin for another 12 to 18 months.
Summary
In closing, I would ask each member to objectively and constructively think about
where our city is going from a parks development perspective and the role the
City Commission could play in our city's future by endorsing and helping bring to
fruition a unique project like this. If done properly, it could be a wonderful visual
amenity the city would enjoy for generations to come. In addition - similar to the
current momentum of landscaping beach accesses - a project like this could
bring added attention to and consideration for improving other public
greenspaces in much the same way.
Very sincerely,
Steven M. Rosenbloom
Home: 246-1901 Office: 350-1024
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